


Ice, Fire, and Shadow

by bearhow31, CallenAmakuni, Snowfall_In_Summer



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: AU-ception, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, OC collab, Original Character(s), Other, an AU of several AUs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22928254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearhow31/pseuds/bearhow31, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallenAmakuni/pseuds/CallenAmakuni, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowfall_In_Summer/pseuds/Snowfall_In_Summer
Summary: A dragon, a soldier and an assassin. When Elsa's missing and Arendelle has no one else to turn to, teaming those three up seems to be the answer - if only they didn't try to kill each other. Crossover with CallenAmakuni, bearhow, and Snowfall_In_Summer
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	1. Ice, Fire, Shadow

“I’m not paid enough for this.”

A long sigh heaved from deep within Garret’s chest while he ran a hand through his crimson hair. He had been standing in front of the door for little more than half an hour – the ants he felt walking all over his legs were starting up a colony, apparently. He brought his gaze down to his shifting feet.

“Could have put out a couple chairs, at least,” he said, his annoyance growing with every minute he spent fidgeting on his spot, waiting for a colonel that might very well have left home.

The latter had asked for him, yet he still didn’t know where, when and for what. Garret had resorted to waiting in front of his office and had considered knocking once or twice.

“Better not to try my luck.”

The colonel had always been considerate, but Garret’s teammates always told him stories of subordinates getting in disproportionate trouble for the tiniest mistakes. When hierarchy was involved, safe wasn’t only the better choice. It was the only choice. He finally clasped his hands behind his back and dejectedly decided to wait some more – he had already gone that far.

Standing alone with his mind, his thoughts inevitably went back to the fiasco.

“God-freaking-dammit.”

The instructions were simple: he wasn’t supposed to use the asset outside direct orders. It had more or less been a tacit accord of his strike team’s commander with the higher staff and he knew that. Then why did he have to disobey that command the only time it was explicitly specified? Why did he use it the only time when it was not only unnecessary but also detrimental to the mission? Why was he so stupid?

He angrily clapped his boot on the cold wood beneath him in a tentative attempt to evacuate some of his frustration – he couldn’t let his superior see that he was angry at himself. And of course, that same superior had chosen that exact moment to open his office’s door.

“Got something under your foot, soldier?” the colonel asked with a lifted eyebrow. His proud bushy mustache was one privilege among the plethora of perks his rank inferred. Among those perks was the ability to reprimand his men. “Want some rocks to step on?”

Garret immediately stood upright and saluted sharply. “No, sir. Squished a bug, sir.” Bluff seemed to be his strategy.

The colonel kept his eyebrow up. “Do I want to ask you to lift your boot, soldier?”

The strategy was quickly proving ineffective.

“N-No, sir.”

The colonel breathed a sigh that made his entire body sink down. “Come in, son,” he said, stepping aside to leave Garret enough space to go into his small office. The room was well-lit, perfectly organized and without any embellishment. A fitting setting for the man. The colonel sat at his desk and clasped his hands together over it. Garret stayed on his feet – he hadn’t been invited to sit.

“Do you know why I called you in?” the older man said once he finished examining him.

“I have an idea about it, sir.”

“All right, then. That saves you some uncomfortable small talk. You know you fucked up.”

“I do, sir.”

“And you know how sensitive it is that your… _abilities…_ remain a secret.”

“Yes, sir.”

The colonel dropped his arms to rest on the table. His gaze visibly hardened. “Then you’ll understand our decision to send you away for a little while.”

Garret’s felt his heart fall. “Send- Send me away, sir?”

The colonel somberly nodded. “Exactly. For at least four months.”

“Four months? What am I gonna do for four bloody months?” Garret blurted out without thinking, forgetting the protocol in the process.

The sanction was instantaneous. “Watch your tongue, soldier, or I’ll make it a whole year.”

Garret immediately got his bearings back, realising how out of line he was. “Sir, yes, sir.”

“Officially, you’re going to investigate a creature sighting in foreign territory,” the colonel explained once his glare softened a bit. “Unofficially, I don’t give a cow’s tit what you do. You’re to leave the country tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? B-But I have to say farewell to…”

“It’s an order, son. Order from _him_ ,” the colonel finished with an insistent glance. “I wouldn’t discuss anything further. The boat’s waiting. Report at London Port first thing in the morning. See you in four months. Dismissed.”

The words were final, ringing in Garret’s ears like the blunt impact of the hammer that had just fallen.

“Un-Understood, sir.”

As he turned around to leave, he heard the colonel’s normal voice, the one that sounded warm and welcoming, the one he would usually never use when wearing his uniform. “Sorry, soldier. Wish we could have handled this any differently.”

“Yeah. I know,” Garret answered before closing the door behind him.

**_—:0:—_ **

The morning’s atmosphere was chilly, humid and heavy. The port was starting to wake up even though the sun was still nowhere to be seen, its light replaced instead by the faint glow of smelly oil lamps. Bringing his coat closer to his body, Garret adjusted his small satchel over his shoulder. He sighed when he noticed the dense fog escaping out of the sailors’ mouths, lifting up to blend into the vapor of the buzzing docks’ heavy machinery. He’d have to look like he was feeling the cold.

“All right, fellas?” he greeted when he reached the hull of the vessel he had been assigned to.

Nobody answered him, but a young one disappeared into the deck and came back accompanied by a man with a hat that seemed to be the captain. “Cheers, mate. You the _special_ cargo?” that same man called.

Garret rolled his eyes. Of course, they would call him that. “That’d be me, yeah.”

“Come on-board,” he said as he threw a rope ladder his way. “We got instructions to get you out of here.”

Garret climbed in, quickly getting used to the slight swaying of the ship. He could tell she was military in design, civilian in aspect. “So where are we taking her?” were his first words.

The captain removed his hat and started wiping the dust off its edges. “ _You_ are not takin’ anythin’ anywhere. _You_ just sit tight. _We_ are droppin’ you off where the brass told us to drop you off.”

Garret’s shoulders slightly slumped down. The trip was going to be fun. “And where would that be?” he asked.

The captain put on his hat again, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “A small place up North. They said it’s called Arendelle.”

**_—:0:—_ **

Eryn downed another tankard of ale. This was at least his third one today. He always found himself back in Karnisvarne after each successful kill. This time it was some medium ranking general in the Southern Isles army. He couldn’t be bothered to remember the details, he normally stopped caring about that after he was paid. And he was handsomely rewarded for the kill, even securing a bonus for shifting the blame onto some fresh private. It may not have been the most honorable thing, but money is indeed money.

He was still in his travelling attire; his brown travelling cloak draped over his shoulders like a fancy cape, covering his plain looking shirt. His boots were still caked with dirt from the quick escape he had to make when he put a bullet between the general’s eyes. Eryn’s raven black hair was windswept from when he and Magni bolted out of the camp to the nearest port. Now in the calm of the tavern, Eryn looked like a disheveled mess compared to everyone else.

Eryn sat at the bar, carefully studying the other patrons. There were only a few other people in the tavern along with him. Everyone else was busy toiling out in the fields for meager pay, or up in the city for some festival. Eryn could care less about what happened in Arendelle proper, since they seemed not to care about anyone but themselves. He nursed another tankard in his hands while he listened to some of the conversations happening.

“There’s a nip in the air. Not good for crops…”

“Lyin’ whore. Kid obviously ain’t mine.”

“Bullshit! Snowmen can’t talk…”

“Ya hear about the queen bringing in one of them ‘Dragon Knights?’”

Eryn perked up at that last conversation. _Dragons? You have my attention._ Two men were seated a few seats away from him at the bar, hunched over with their own tankards. Eryn leaned in closer to listen in on their conversation.

“Hell’s a dragon knight?” One of the men asked.

“Agh. Warriors from buttfuck ‘who cares’,” his friend replied. “One of ‘em’s here for the festival.”

“What’re they doing here?”

“Probably for the queen, but who cares? Freaks of nature the lot of them. The whore’s magic could easily make her a target for the likes of them…”

Eryn contemplated this information for a moment. If the Dragon Knights were renowned warriors, what would people think of a man who could kill a Dragon Knight? That’s when a spark of inspiration hit him like-

 **_A Dragon Knight?! Are you out of your mind, Odrikson?!_ **a familiar voice rang in his head.

Eryn pulled his dagger out of its sheath. It was an ancient looking blade, with an ebony grip and a rough looking edge. Etched into it were a series of runes which currently glowed bright red.

 _C’mon! An opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime!_ he mentally retorted.

**_That’s what at least three of your predecessors said before they all met their ends. Dragon Knights are not meant to be taken lightly, Odrikson, they-_ **

_How hard can it be?_

**_THEY ARE DRAGONS, BOY!_ **

_Bah, that’s probably just some propaganda to scare folks into respecting them. Like ‘Winged Hussars.’ And since when have you been an expert in ancient knighthood orders?_

**_Since when have you been an idiot? I assure you, that title is_ ** **not** **_simply honorary. If you try to fight a Dragon Knight, you will die!_ **

_You said that for at least three different jobs we took._

**_Yes, and if it weren’t for_ ** **me** **_, you would be dead! Besides, didn't we just get done with a kill not a few hours ago?_ **

_Well, adrenaline is still pumping. I guess._

**_Odrikson…._ **

_Bah, quit blabbering. We’re off to Arendelle proper._

Eryn sheathed the dagger and got up from the bar. He fished around in his pocket for a few gold coins and made his way out of the tavern. This was a perfect opportunity! If he killed this “Dragon Knight,” the whole damned world would know who Eryn Odrikson was. It would be impossible to go anywhere and find someone not talking about how a master assassin killed such a prestigious warrior. Eryn wasn’t quite sure what a dragon knight looked like, but he was certain he would know as soon as he saw one.

Entering the stables, Eryn saddled up Magni, his horse, and readied up. With the shout of “Magni! _Beveg seg!”_ the black stallion darted out of the stables onto the north road.

 _That Dragon Knight is mine,_ Eryn thought to himself as Karnisvarne disappeared behind him.

**_—:0:—_ **

The Great Thaw Festival Observance, or GTFO as Princess Anna put it, was to be a new tradition in Arendelle after the events that took place one year ago today. After what seemed like hours of pleading, Queen Elsa finally relented to her sister’s wishes to host the festivities. The contrast in the sisters' personalities had never been more evident than when the festival was decided on. Elsa saw it as the day she lost control and the kingdom found out about her secrets, Anna saw it as the day they became sisters again and the gates to their kingdom had been opened. 

Either way she looked at it, Elsa couldn’t help but feel a little excited about the upcoming events. Even her advisors were looking forward to it, and they were never happy about anything.

Looking over the fjord filled to the brim with ships, Elsa took a few deep breaths of the ocean air, allowing its calming and salty breeze to settle her nerves. 

_I can do this. This is for Anna. Anna and I, but still mostly Anna._ As much as she wanted to enjoy the gates being open, she still wouldn’t be what most people would call a “people person”. She left that to her sister. 

“There you are!” Speaking of which. Elsa felt the arms of her sister wrap around her shoulders. “Are you excited about the festival?”

Elsa’s eyes drifted from the harbor to the town square where her people were setting up banners, food, tables with goods ready to be sold, and an all around merry atmosphere. 

A smile ghosted her lips. “As excited as I’ll ever be.” 

Anna gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Oh don’t be like that. This is gonna be a blast and you know it.” 

Elsa barked a laugh. “You're just saying that because you're excited for yet another party.”

“Well, the gates are open and we’ve got a lot of time to make up for.” 

Elsa reached up and grabbed her sister's arm tenderly. “I know, and little by little we're making up for it.”

“Then let’s go!” Grabbing her by the arm, she tugged, pulling her sister through the castle at top speed and Elsa’s arm from its socket. Before her brain could register what was happening, she found herself in the castle courtyard still being towed behind her sister. 

Suddenly Anna stopped. “OH! Before we go too far I have to show you what me and Gerda made.” 

“Gerda and I,” Elsa corrected. 

“No.” Anna pointed to herself in an exaggerated fashion. “ME! And Gerda.”

Elsa’s expression was as blank as stone and with a deadpan expression she responded. “That joke never gets old.” Anna disappeared back into the castle and with impressive speed, returned only a few moments later. 

“We had a bunch of this made up and are being hung around the city.” It was an exquisite banner made from gold, green and purple fabrics with stitchings of the letters GTFO. “What do you think?”

Elsa tilted her head. As much as she loved the banner and her sister’s creative talents, something about it seemed off. Unable to think of it she gave her sister a large wide smile. “It’s beautiful.” 

Squealing excitedly, Anna all but sprinted into the town, Elsa making sure to keep her arms behind her back so that Anna didn’t pull them off. 

Sure enough the banners were being hung throughout Arendelle, and no matter how many of them she saw, Elsa couldn’t remember what it was that was off about them. 

“Good work guys!” she heard Anna say. Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were helping hang the banners over a few of the consignment tents. While Anna gave the boys a hand -and by giving a hand meant barked orders about how they were doing it wrong- Elsa meandered through the town. She nodded and smiled to the various merchants, townsfolk, children, and those visiting from other countries. 

After exchanging a few words with someone there from France, out of the corner of her eye she spotted an old friend wandering through the square. She almost didn’t recognize him dressed in a dark green suit, a high collared shirt with a tie, grey trousers and nice black leather shoes. Even his dark brown hair was combed to the side. Had it not been for the glowing teal necklace he wore, she wouldn’t have known it was Drake Daniels, Dragon Knight. 

She excused herself from the French dignitary, and made her way to the dragon warrior. 

He held his arms behind his back as he aimlessly meandered, clear that he was either lost or wasting time pretending to be interested in what was going on around him. Luckily for him Elsa was closing in, giving him a reprieve from his feigned interests. 

He bowed at the waist with his hand over his heart. “Her Majesty honors me with her presence.”

She chuckled at his sarcastic, teasing tone, and with a curtsy responded. “You should be so honored.” He laughed as he stood up straight, his fingers casually tugging at his collar. “Um, what are you wearing?” Elsa asked.

He looked at himself like he had done something wrong. “A suit? Am I not supposed to wear one?”

She shook her head quickly. “No, no, no. It’s just I’ve never seen you so, dressed up?”

He released a breath of relief. “Well. This is a festival. I don’t see the need to be geared up in all my hunting gear. Although,” he lifted his suit a bit to show a belt littered with a variety of pouches, “I never leave the house unprepared.” 

“Ha. So much for no hunting gear.”

“Hey! I said ALL my hunting gear. This is only some of it.”

“Some of what?” Seeing that Elsa was chatting with someone, Anna had removed herself from her supervising duties to see what her sister was up to. Her mouth dropped with surprise and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Drake! It’s so good to see you.”

He returned a gentle friendly hug. “You too, princess.”

“When did you get here?” she asked when they stepped away from each other.

“Well, actually I arrived a few days ago, but I kept myself out of the way so as to not interrupt anything you ladies were doing. And yes, I flew, no boats for me please.” 

“Well neat! Now that you're here, you can help us hang these.” Drake looked at the banner she had flashed to him and his smile changed to a twisted, uncomfortable grimace. “What? What is it?” 

“Um, heh, you do know what GTFO means right?” 

Anna shook her head. “The Great Thaw Festival Observance?” Drake sucked in a breath through his teeth, before leaning forward to whisper into her ear. Anna’s expression changed from confused to downright horrified. “Oh god! KRISTOFF, TAKE THE BANNERS DOWN!!” She sprinted to stop him, leaving Elsa to watch her with her brows lowered. 

“What was that?”

Drake couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll tell you as we help her take those things down.” 

Just as he took his first step, he stopped when he felt a tickle in the back of his neck. He was a monster hunter, who knew never to ignore those hairs. He threw a quick glance at his surroundings, his ears and nose twitching.

 **_This is still a bad idea, Odrikson_ ** **.**

The voice was faint, ghostly, almost ethereal but with a rasp and menacing tone.

 _Hush, I’m concentrating_.

This one was less otherworldly, more grounded but no less hostile. Drake furrowed his brows. “Your Majesty, I’m going to have to check on something real quick.”

Elsa simply shrugged in response. “As you wish,” she answered. “But first, tell me what those lette-” She turned around, noticing the surprising absence of the Dragon Knight. “Huh. Where did he go?”

**_—:0:—_ **

Drake crossed the main square, the outer city’s rim, then the first glades, and as fast as he moved he was no less on edge. He walked deep into the woods, the two voices following him with impressive stealth. He had to control his pace so as to not go too fast and lose them, or two slowly and alert them.

_Where do you think he’s going?_

**_Did mortals get dumber over the millennia or am I just cursed with you?_ **

_You know what they say. You can't land a shot you don't take._

**_I'm sure they say lots of things. You know what they also say? Listen to the Lord of Shadows before doing something reckless._ **

What intrigued Drake most was the clear absence of footsteps. If it weren’t for the voices exchanging quips every now and then, he wouldn’t have detected them. He stopped in the middle of a clear and open meadow far enough away from the kingdom and turned around.

“Is there something you want from me?” he called loudly.

_He’s talking to himself, now. Pff, what a nutjob._

**_I’m not going to dignify that remark with an answer._ **

A vein popped on Drake’s forehead at the jab. “You two might as well show yourselves.”

_Wait. Two?_

“Yeah. Two. The demon and the guy who’s stupid enough to follow me.”

**_What a surprise._ **

_He can hear me?_

“Yes, I can, “ Drake huffed in annoyance. “Now, we gonna do this or what?”

A shadow slithered on the barks, jumping from tree to tree. It approached rapidly, stopping a few feet away from Drake before briskly lifting off the ground, transforming into a black leathered young man holding a dagger in his right hand in a reversed grip. “Your head,” he hissed.

With that, he leaped with incredible speed, aiming at Drake’s neck. The latter barely had time to register that he had moved before he leaned away and felt a vicious snarl below his right ear and his suit ripping out from over his shoulder. He jumped away with a swift step, holding the location where the blade had apparently scratched his skin.

“Okay, first off, this is my only suit that you just tore. So, thanks for that. And what’s this about wanting to kill me?”

The young man slowly walked to the side while twirling his ebony blade between his fingers. “No hard feelings, boy. This is business. When your head rolls to my feet, your reputation will only add to the reverence of my name.”

Drake waited a moment before his head lowered in a “seriously” stare. “I'm sorry, I’m a little slow here. So you’re attacking me... to become famous?”

**_See?! Even HE knows how stupid your plan is._ **

_Shut up! I’m in the middle of the pre-fight banter._

Drake didn’t wait for an answer. “Well, who are you?”

Eryn slightly puffed his chest out. “Eryn Odrikson! Master assassin and your executioner.”

Drake blinked a few times. “Okay maybe you should kill me, cuz I’ve never heard of you.” He removed his hand from the wound on his shoulder, noting the small specks of blood. “Although this is concerning.” He narrowed his eyes at the dagger in Eryn’s hand. He had never seen anything like it before, nor the writing on the metal, but if it was talking it couldn’t be good. 

Drake examined his attacker. “Well, I’ll cut you a deal. Leave now and I won’t kick your ass back to wherever you came from.” 

Eryn sneered. “Yeah, how ‘bout—“

**_—yes!_ **

“—no.”

Drake heaved a sigh. Looking over his shoulder at the kingdom, he knew he really didn’t have time to deal with this, so he might as well end it quickly. “Alright then. There’s no honor in this, but just so you know, you were warned.”

With that, Drake bent forward. The necklace he wore glowed and he let it engulf him in it’s pure blue. He felt his wings grow, his fangs bare and his throat burn. He let out a deafening roar, lifting his now thick and long head to the heavens. 

_And he’s a dragon now._

**_I guess this_ ** **DRAGON** **_Knight is full of surprises._ **

_Why didn’t you tell me he could actually turn into one?!?_

The assassin plunged to the side to avoid a spray of ungodly blue-hot fire that left only carbonised grass in its wake.

**_I know this might sound obvious, but do not let the fire touch you._ **

_Gee, thanks for the advice!_

Eryn darted forward at his top speed, avoiding another fiery breath and closing the distance with the dragon’s belly.

_Is it...glowing?_

**_Now is not the time, Odrikson!_ **

He prepared a strike, cocking his arm back and twisting his feet to accumulate enough force behind the hit. However, Drake interrupted his attempt in an instant and Eryn had to dodge the heavy and scaly tail that stomped the location he had been in a fraction of a second before. He continued dashing back, closely avoiding a rapid claw aiming at his legs and parrying a hit of that same tail that sent sparks in the air and him flying away. He glided a bit on the slippery soil when he landed, bringing himself low and at the ready should another attack come his way. 

_I don’t care what it takes, we’re doing it. We’re bringing it down._

**_It’s a dragon, you moron. You think_ ** **YOU** **_can take it down?_ **

"Oh, you're gonna burn," the dragon boomed in his enhanced voice before he opened his mouth and sparkles started flying dangerously around it.

Before they could both unleash their wrath, they instinctively brought a claw and a dagger to their sides to deflect arrows that had been aimed at their heads. The two projectiles softly landed in the middle of the space between them. Examining them with curious eyes, they both noticed the pale reflection they were emitting. They were made of crystal ice.

The dragon and the assassin whirled their heads to their left, where a strange man wearing a large maroon coat and a simple traveler’s garb stood with his right arm outstretched. Among the light mist that was surrounding him, his crimson hair stuck out from afar. 

A frozen spear appeared in his hand almost instantaneously. He gave it a quick twirl and planted it in the ground below him with a resonating thud. 

“Hello there,” Garret simply greeted with a smile. “And here I thought the colonel was making a monkey out of me. Mind if I join in?” 

  
  
  


**AN: CallenAmakuni:** **Hello and first of all thanks for reading! This has been a blast to write - I had lots of fun - and I hope you enjoyed it. We each wrote a part of this chapter and the blend is IMO very harmonious, so I’m very proud of it and us!**

**Now, a few precisions for those of you who are already familiar with** **_Patience and Time_ ** **. The Garret you see here is** **_not_ ** **the same one as the one in PaT. This is an AU - from an AU, yeah, but still - where he is younger and never went to Arendelle before. Everything that happens here will have** **_no_ ** **repercussions on PaT. See this as a rather self-indulgent Avengers-style crossover where we have fun with our characters.**

**And if you haven’t already, please go check Snowfall’s** **_Beware The Frozen Heart (both on AO3 and FFN)_ ** **and Bearhow’s** **_Hungry Moon (on FFN only for now),_ ** **I assure you it’ll be worth your while!**

**We’re really excited to bring you what’s coming next. Thanks again, and see you next time!**

  
  
  


**A/N: Snowfall_In_Summer:** **I agree, this was incredibly fun to write!**

 **Likewise, for those familiar with “Beware the Frozen Heart,” This is a non canon story to that fic. The Eryn here isn’t the same Eryn that’s in BtFH. If Garret and Drake interest you, check out CallenAmakuni’s** **_Patience and Time_ ** **and Bearhow’s** **_Hungry Moon_ ** **series (Like CallenAmakuni said,** **_Hungry Moon_ ** **is on FFN only for now. Link:** [ **https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13314313/1/Hungry-Moon** ](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13314313/1/Hungry-Moon) **)**

**Hope you enjoyed this little experiment!**

**A/N: Bearhow**

**Bearhow here!**

**I’d like to echo what my partners in crime have already said m. This was a blast and it's only going to get more amazing as the story goes on. Also this is a different continuity from “Hungry Moon” and “the Snow queen's champion”, but Drake does know our favorite Arendellians.**

**Enjoy the show!**


	2. Welcome to Arendelle

“Who the fuck are you?” 

Drake’s draconic voice and Eryn’s slithering hiss were projected at the same time.

Garret shrugged. ”I was told there’d be a dragon around these parts, and a dragon there is! Now you both look like you’re enjoying yourselves, so I’d like to chime in on the fun if I can.”

Eryn narrowed his eyes, just as the blade began to speak to him again. 

**_Odrikson, that’s what we commonly call an eyewitness._ **

_ I know! _

**_Then what are you waiting for? Kill him before he can escape!_ **

_ Gladly. _

Eryn pushed on his legs and darted towards the stranger. He brought the dagger near his face to minimize resistance, waiting for the last moment to extend his arm to his left, aiming for the newcomer’s heart. He felt the brutal impact land with a succinct thud and continued on his dash to step away from the still undetermined danger. 

_ That should do it. You were right, Skyne, I admit it. Happy? _

No answer from the dagger. Eryn threw a glance to his hand and noticed with stupor that he wasn’t holding it anymore. Some thick mist reached his foot, and he lifted his eyes.

The stranger was nowhere to be seen. 

_ What the? _

**_BEHIND YOU, FOOL!_ **

“Is this yours, mate?” 

Eryn jumped to the side to avoid...his own dagger falling with a brisk plop to the ground. On the tree he managed to discern a crouching silhouette. 

“That’s a nice knife. Cut right through my armor and all. Would have been a goner if you hadn’t twisted it.”

“The hell are you talking about? What armor?” Eryn said in exasperation as he slowly picked the dagger up, not letting his gaze leave the new parameter of the fight. The familiar sound of the Eldritch voice in his mind appeased him a tiny bit.

**_Careful, Odrikson. He has protection._ **

_ Protection? How? With what? _

The stranger leapt off and unleashed two arrows that Eryn deflected to the ground.

**_Ice. I got stuck in hard and very cold ice._ **

Eryn readied his answer, but a wave of unrelenting heat came scorching towards him. He barely had time to dash away to escape from it and smelled the hem of his coat burning. 

“I’m still here, ladies,” Drake roared. Another icy arrow came right for his triangle shaped face. With incredible reflexes, he caught it inches from his eye and examined it closely. “Ice, huh? Interesting.”

Eryn rolled over to his back, patting out the flames on his coat. “Son of a bitch! Dragon first, then the iceman.”

The dragon spat a stream of fire into the trees, “I can help with the iceman,” He then slammed his tail into a nearby tree, shaking loose the one who had tried to use it for hiding. He fell to his knee on the ground.

“Okay, that hurt a lot,” Garret said, walking out of the dense cloud of ashes into the zenith’s rays. He was now coated in a thick pale blue armor that was apparently still assembling itself back from Drake’s attack, its plates reflecting the glowing sunlight like mirrors. The hawk-shaped helmet vanished away, uncovering a very angry face. “I’m not a fan of fire.”

“And I’m not a fan of strange, armored nut cases throwing pointy things at me,” Drake answered.

“I’m strange?” He huffed in response, “You’re the talking dragon.”

"And you’re an ice monster!"

Garret rolled his eyes towards the one in black, “You. Tell him I’m not that weird.” 

He brought his gaze to the side where Eryn had been standing not a second before. His eyes widening, Garret summoned back his armor’s helmet, feeling it's cold weight drop on his shoulder and its casket close around his face. He ducked, closely avoiding the slash of an ebony blade that swept the air where he was just standing.

_ Damn it! _

**_If we can get the dragon and the ice caster to fight to the death, we have our chance to run!_ **

“I’m not running. I’ll have them both.”

__

**_Well, it was nice knowing you, fool._ **

Eryn readied another strike, but was interrupted by another stream of white-hot blue.

“You’re starting to piss me off, dragon!” 

“Good!” he roared. 

Eryn was suddenly tackled at his side by an incredible force and stumbled to the ground. He tried getting up but a heavy ice block was now surrounding his legs, tying them together. He slashed it quickly, cutting the crystal away from his limbs.

In the meantime, Drake registered the blue flash that speedily traversed the grass and lifted his tail to counter whatever was coming, yet he didn’t feel anything. After a few seconds, he dropped his guard and threw an enhanced glance around. No sound, except for breathing. No, not breathing. Wind.

His nostrils flared, smoke wisping in all directions to create a light fog. There was slight movement to his left, but he attributed it to the guy in black. Larger movements from his right cut through the fog, coming right at him. With incredible reflexes, he grabbed the ice man by the neck, and clawed the helmet off. 

“You wouldn’t happen to know a queen Elsa would you?”

The iceman struggled against the reptilian arm holding him. “Nope. Nev-Never heard of her. Why? Friend of yours?” 

“Just curious.” He barely registered any movement when he felt the guy in black jump onto his back. 

Eryn threw his head back and laughed. “Gotcha now, dragon boy!” He raised the knife, plunging it into his neck, only for the sharp metal to scrap harmlessly against the iron-like scales. He went pale. “I saw that going differently in my head.” 

**_If you had paid attention all the while we came to this godforsaken place, you would know that dragonhide can’t be penetrated normally!_ **

_ Yeah I get that—agh! _ Drake had wrapped his tail around his neck and pulled him off of his back. 

“First I’m going to kick your ass, then—“ 

He roared in annoyance when the iceman threw mist into his eyes. He dropped both of them, rubbing and warming the ice off his face. 

**_Now, will you listen to me and run!?_ **

_ That’s a great idea.  _

Before he could get up to crawl away, Drake put his foot on top of him. 

“Don’t start what you can’t finish!”

“Unhand him!” The iceman jumped onto him, summoning whatever ice he could to hold him back. Eryn meanwhile took his knife and started stabbing for a weak spot in his scales, but found nothing. 

“Shit.” Eryn gripped the blade. “To hell with this.” He could feel the dark magic emanating from his dagger enveloping him little by little. “Now this will do the trick!” Eryn raised his hand as a ball of dark energy formed in his pa-

**_“Enough!”_ **

The ground became ice and the three fighters, carried by momentum, drifted away from each other in frozen expressions. Eryn fell headlong a bit further and Garret landed on his bottom with a cry of hurt. The soldier’s eyes, as large as plates, flew between the shimmering ground below him and the person that had cast it. Ice spread onto their feet, keeping each of them in place and from running off. 

“Oh, great,” Eryn scoffed under his breath, “The ice witch herself…”

Elsa was standing at the clear meadow’s entrance with a look of fury on her face and guards pointing spears at the two men. “Drake!” She glared, “Can I ask you who and why you’re fighting?”

He growled, the ice on his feet melting and allowing him to change back into his human form. Staring down the two others he growled, “That is an excellent question.”

**_—:0:—_ **

Elsa’s office was filled with her advisors, her sister, individuals from the festival with last minute details to go over, and Drake. She barely got one foot in the door when she was suddenly bombarded on all sides from everyone gathered. 

“Enough!” she shouted. “Anna, help those that need help with the festival, and if you’re not needed here, please leave. Otherwise, you can remain, but please don’t speak until spoken to.” 

_ Maybe that will calm everyone down.  _

As Anna went out to do as she was told, Elsa turned to Jürden and the captain of her guard Bjorn. “We need to do this fast, there’s about a thousand other things that need my attention right now.” She began rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to calm her growing headache.

The elder seemed concerned. “With all due respect, this isn’t something that should be rushed. Murder was attempted on our lands, we can’t simply shrug it off.” 

Drake finally spoke from his corner of the office. “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘murder’,” he air quoted. “Neither of them could touch me.”

“Regardless.” Elsa turned to him. “There was an attempt on your life and we have to take it seriously… just quickly.” She cleared her throat, ignoring his look and turned to Bjorn. “Bring one of them in. Doesn’t matter which.”

He bowed his head, exited the room then returned with the pale, red headed man, shackled on his wrists and ankles. “State your name,” Bjorn commanded. 

He stood straight, clicking his boots together as if he had done it a thousand times before. “Sir Garret, Corporal of the British Army. I have papers and an identification seal in my back pocket.” 

Bjorn reached into his back pocket and extracted a handful of documents. “What brings you to Arendelle, soldier?” 

Garret relaxed his shoulders a bit. “Full disclosure, I thought I was sent here on a wild goose chase to track down a dragon knight. I first told myself I just got the bad end of a weird stick but turns out they were right.”

Elsa cast a glance at Drake, who was staring daggers at Garret. “Why?” she asked. “What interest does the British Army have with dragon knights?”

“We take every Dragon Knight sighting very seriously, Your Majesty. The agreement we have with his people state that they aren’t allowed in any occupied territory unless invited. I was sent to make sure all laws and ordinances have been followed.”

Elsa’s eyes narrowed, feeling that there was more to his story then he was letting on. “Britain sent you all the way to Arendelle to make sure a Dragon Knight, that MIGHT be here, was following your laws?”

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” said Drake. “The British Army does have a reputation for being total dicks.”

Garret snorted with laughter. “Well, they kinda are. We learn very quickly not to ever ask for a raise.”

Bjorn handed his papers back to him and turned back to Elsa. “The documentation is official. What is the queen's decision?”

Elsa pursed her lips in thought before turning to Drake, silently asking what he would do.

He exhaled, as if not wanting to say what he was about to. “I don't see a criminal,” he said almost reluctantly, “Just a soldier doing his duty.”

“I agree.” Elsa turned to Bjorn. “Let him go. He’s welcome to stay for the festival IF he behaves himself, and I expect you to return to your superiors and inform them all is well. Do we have an agreement?” 

The man didn’t wait for Bjorn to unshackle him. He simply lifted his wrists, from which the broken frames of the metallic cuffs were hanging. The captain’s surprised expression was quickly replaced by one of anger as he reached for his sword. “This is just to show you that I mean no harm,” Garret explained in an attempt to calm the burly man. He then bowed his head, his eyes darting from Drake to Elsa. “Of course, Your Majesty.” 

Bjorn escorted him out of the office and returned with the other one. Similarly to Garret, he was shackled on his wrists and ankles, but was struggling a bit harder in Bjorn’s grasp. 

“Oof, grabby aren’t we? What’s the matter, wife leave you or something?” he turned to face Elsa, “Oh, you again…” 

“State your name for the queen,” Jurden ordered. 

He spat, “The name’s ‘Fuck you’!”

Jurden seemed unphased by his adolescent behavior. “I see. Is that ‘Mister Fuck you’? Is there a ‘Misses Fuck you’?”

Bjorn passed a glare at him. “Please, watch the language in front of the queen.” He turned to the prisoner. “That goes for you too.”

Eryn leaned forward, putting his mouth inches from Bjorn’s. “Maybe if this cunt actually cared about anyone other tha-“

He couldn’t finish since Bjorn threw his fist into his stomach. “Apologies, my queen.” He grabbed the stranger by the hair, “do not speak of the queen in such a manner again. Understand?” 

“His name is Eryn Odrikson.” 

Eryn lifted himself up as soon as the pain subsided. “Ah, so you’ve heard of me?”

**_Hmm, could it be that you SHOUTED YOUR OWN DAMN NAME when you attacked him?! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss Aren the Red. At least_ ** **he** **_had half a brain…_ **

“Did I ask for your opinion?” 

Everyone in the room looked confused as to who he was talking to, save for Drake.

**_Watch it, Odrikson, remember who is serving who…_ **

“To answer your question, no I’ve never heard of you.” The Dragon Knight removed the hunting knife from his coat pocket. “But I could hear you two fighting with each other like an old married couple.” 

Bjorn looked at the knife in amazement, “I-is that…?”

Eryn glared menacingly. “Give. That. Back.”

Drake pocketed it without a second thought. “Finders keepers. Losers weepers.”

“Oh, to hell with this…” Eryn struggled to lift his hand in the direction of the dagger.

**_NO! Don’t reveal the magic, not yet!_ **

_ If I don’t, Fafnir over there will! _

“Fafnir?! Seriously?” Drake scoffed. 

“Oh, you don’t like that one,” his lids dropped over his brown eyes, “how about ‘Lemon’?”

Drake went rigid, his nostrils flared with angry smoke and his eyes narrowed with blazing dragon fire. “What. Did. You. Call me?”

Eryn smirked. “Hm, struck a raw nerve there, did I?”

Elsa stood between the two. “That’s enough, both of you!”

Her office doors opened again, this time one of Bjorn’s soldiers handed a flyer to his captain. “Well, would you look at this.” He handed it to Elsa: a flyer with Eryn’s face drawn on the front. It was a younger picture, but it was his face plastered onto a wanted poster. 

She flicked the poster so that Eryn was now looking at it. “You’re a wanted man? Why return to Arendelle with a bounty on your head?”

Eryn gave her the smuggest expression he could muster, “Ah, so this country  _ does  _ care enough about me, eh? I was starting to get worried you all forgot me.” 

Elsa folded her arms, not knowing what he was referring to. “What else have you been accused of?”

“As if I would tell you,” Eryn spat on the floor, “Perhaps you should pay more attention to your realm instead of playing fairy tale all the damn time!”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t have time for this. Bjorn, take him below to the dungeons and we’ll settle what to do with him later.”

“Oh, not the dungeons!” Eryn said sarcastically as he was shoved out of the room, “how will I  _ eeeever  _ get out of there?”

Drake flipped the dagger on its side, studying the blade. The metal looked ancient, yet it appeared to be as sharp as a new sword. Along the face of the blade a series of strange symbols were etched deep into the metal: ᛊᚲᛃᚾᛖ. The mystery symbols glowed a faint red, almost as if the core of the blade was molten.

**_Listen well, Dragon Knight,_** the blade announced, projecting the words into Drake’s mind, **_Know that I, Skyne, Spirit of Darkness and Lord of Shadows, Son of Máni, father of Błȩdnica and commander of the błudniki, stand before you. With my gifts, my children conquered these lands and ruled supreme over men. I offer that same magic to you now. Aid me in my release from this prison and… WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!_**

“Seriously?! ‘Lord of Shadows?’ First off, you could at least TRY and not sound like a monologuing villain. Secondly, you created Demon gnomes, so ease off on the ‘master of darkness’ shtick and thirdly, I’ve heard of you Skyne, and from what I’ve heard, I’ve choked on things tougher than you.” 

**_Phrasing, boy. And if you doubt my claims, why not release me and witness my power for yourself…_ **

Drake threw his head back and laughed. “Or I could not do that, and listen to you hilariously try to get yourself out.” 

“Drake?” He lifted his head to Elsa’s voice. “Are you arguing with that knife?”

He was stunned into silence before pointing at the knife. “He started it.”

Elsa shook her head, not amused at his immaturity and took a closer look at the knife. After a brief moment, her eyes went wide. “The Arendolk? It can’t be…”

Drake cocked his head to the side. “I mean, he did seem kind of stupid.”

“No, Aren _ dolk _ , the hunting knife of Aren the First of Arendelle.” She got a bit closer, extending her hand towards it. “It’s said that the blade houses an evil spirit responsible for enshrouding the world in darkness over a thousand years ago...”

**_YES! AT LAST I SHALL-!_ **

Drake pulled the knife out of her grasp and tucked it back into his coat. “All the more reason for me to hang on to it.”

**_I WILL PERSONALLY TORTURE YOUR WHOLE FAMILY, YOU OVERGROWN SALAMANDER!_ **

“Oh good, can I watch?”

“Just a minute there, son,” Jurden stood up, approaching him quickly. “If that really is the knife of Aren the First, then it belongs here in Arendelle.” 

Drake raised his eyebrows with a light laugh. “You want to hang on to a knife that holds a dark Nordic entity captive?”

“It is Arendelle property. Isn’t that right, my queen?”

Elsa flushed, being suddenly put on the spot. Not wanting to disappoint either of them, an idea came to her mind. “It could make a nice attraction for the festival?”

**_ATTRACTION?! I am to be revered, not gawked at—!_ **

Drake slammed his fist against the knife to silence it. “Elsa, as your friend, and consultant in all things weird, i'd advise against that.”

“I think it’s a splendid idea.” Jurden smiled. “We want our first GTFO to go off wonderfully, what better way than to show off some of Arendelle’s history.”

**_I’m sorry, the what?_ **

“And if you're worried about it, why don’t you keep an eye on it?” Her eyes lit up with another idea, “better yet, you know the legend, why not entertain the people by telling the story?”

The color drained from his face. “Y-you want me to do what? In front of...p-people?”

**_HA! Now who’s the dancing monkey—gah!_ ** Hopefully another playful pat would shut it up. 

**_—:0:—_ **

Garret wandered the streets of Arendelle, taking in the festive nature all around him I’m. All along the streets, shop owners set up small booths displaying their wares as children excitedly gathered around each of them. Walking up to one, Garret noticed several small wooden dolls strewn out on the display. The man behind the booth, a tall, bald elderly man with wrinkly skin and soft grey eyes, was busy whittling a small block of wood when Garret approached. The young soldier gingerly picked up one of the wooden creations and examined it thoroughly. It was shaped in the likeness of the queen, intricately carved from what appeared to be white birch. The elderly gentleman lifted his gaze from his work to meet Garret’s eyes with his own.

“Your craftsmanship is astounding,” Garret said, placing the figure back on the countertop.

“Ah, thank ye,” the old woodcarver wheezed, “I’ve been making these little knick knacks since before the queen was even born.”

“Amazing. How much for this one?”

“Five gold pieces, good sir!”

Garret picked up the small wooden figure he had seen earlier and fished out a few gold coins from his pocket, placing them onto the countertop before departing. As he strolled down the streets of Arendelle, his mind wandered to the Dragon Knight. He had heard legends of these warriors, how they went about hunting monsters and could shapeshift. Seeing one in the flesh, though? It was truly a sight to behold… had he not been one of the knight’s targets. He had never witnessed such power, such raw strength before in his life. He just wished to have studied it under friendlier circumstances. The colonel would most definitely be pleased with his report on the situation. Surely facing one down and coming out alive would be enough to get back into his superiors good graces. 

Then his mind fell onto that of the… assassin, apparently. _ Eryn Odrikson, _ the soldier thought,  _ I think I’ve heard that name in passing around London… something about a prostitute and Christmas Pudding…  _

His thoughts soon rested on the man’s knife. How was it able to cut through his ice armor so easily? A gun he could see penetrating the icy carapice, but a flimsy dagger? Not even a sword could damage it. And was he… talking to it during the fight? Was he mental or was there something more to it? Obviously he had to be mental, taking on a dragon knight underequipped. But then he remembered seeing the man channeling some kind of… dark energy just before the queen intervened. Was this whole country filled with magic users? He would most likely have to report this to command as well… but that could wait for now.

Garret eventually found himself back in the town center, where most of the festivities were taking place… except for now. The whole center was sparse of people, save a few children playing around a maypole near the fountain in the middle of the buildings. He looked around until he saw a mass of civilians making their way towards the castle.  _ Must be something important,  _ he thought as he followed them. 

Crossing the bridge, he couldn’t help but feel congested as the small trickle of people soon turned into a crowded mob when he passed through the gates. The throng soon gathered in the middle of the courtyard, just before the two massive doors that led into the castle. The queen stood in front of the crowd atop a raised platform, poised and composed as she observed her people. To her left, the dragon knight stood, his eyes filled with… fear? What on Earth could such a fearsome warrior be afraid of? Garret’s eyes immediately went to the man’s arms. The assassin’s dagger was gripped tight in his right hand! Garret awkwardly pushed himself through the crowd, accompanied by a series of “excuse mes” and “so sorries” until he was at the very front. As the talks and laughs quieted down, the queen stepped forward.

“Honored guests and people of Arendelle,” she spoke, her voice carrying across the courtyard, “I would like to welcome you all to the first annual Great Thaw Festival Observance, a day that shall represent love, community, and family.”

“Is that why the town’s been telling us to get the fuck out then?” someone from the crowd laughed.

She looked a bit puzzled. “I-I’m sorry?” the dragon knight cleared his throat, walked up to her and whispered something into her ear. As he backed away, the queen’s face turned bright red before slowly turning to face him. Garret was close enough to listen in on the queen giving the dragon knight quite an earful.

“It means _what?!”_ He could make out small wisps of ice floating from her mouth as she raged, “ _Why didn’t you tell me this when I_ _asked_?!”

  
“I didn’t want to bother you at the time! You looked incredibly busy!” He made his best “puppy-dog-innocent-face” and pointed to himself. “Remember? Victim? I just went through a traumatic experience?”

The queen simply glared, flicked some icy snow at his face before continuing her speech, “Well, then, I think I shall just give the stage over to our guest speaker, Mr. Drake Daniels, an esteemed guest and friend to the royal family.”

_ Drake?  _ Garret thought,  _ His parents certainly had an interesting sense of humor. _

“Drake has done something extraordinary for our humble kingdom once again. A relic of Arendelle’s past, long thought to be lost to the ages, has made its way back home with his aid. I shall let him discuss his findings to you all,” she motioned for him to take the stage before making her way down to the front row, stopping next to Garret. “Ah, Mr. Garret,” she said as she recognized him, “How are you enjoying the festival?”

“It’s quite something, Your Majesty,” he said as he showed off his recent purchase, “You have a nation full of skilled craftsmen, and friendly people too. Wish England was more like Arendelle in that regard.” 

The queen chuckled lightly, “Thank you. I apologize for the whole ‘shackles’ thing…”

“Don’t worry about that,” he reassured with a flick of his wrist. “You had reasons to.”

“Very well. I assume you haven’t caused any more trouble around here?”

It was Garret’s turn to chuckle, “On my best behavior, ma’am. Scout’s honor.” He held up his three fingers before glancing ahead. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did a Dragon Knight become a personal friend of yours?”

“It’s… a long story. I’d rather not get into it now, the event was hard on Arendelle.”

“Of course,” Garret said. He simply nodded as the two of them turned their attention to Drake as he stepped forward.

“Um, yes… h-hello everyone,” Drake stammered as he let out an audible gulp. “My name is Drake… but you already knew that….erm…” He held out the knife high in his hand so that the crowd could see it. He appeared as if his limbs were made of metal as he held the knife with his arm parallel to the ground. Garret could make out the runes etched into the blade. He’d never seen anything like it before.

“T-this is, um, the Arendork, erm, ArenDOLK. Over a hun-no- _ thousand  _ years ago, uh… all throughout this region there was m-magic…powerful magic… and it was dark too...”

“You suck!”

“I  _ know!” _

Garret internally cringed at the display before him. The dragon knight was afraid of… public speaking, of all things? The further he got with his story, the more he felt a great swell of pity for him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Elsa with her hand over her mouth looking just as uncomfortable as he was. 

“Your friend hunts and kills monsters and yet he can’t speak in front of others?” 

She chuckled under her hand. “Apparently.” 

Garret eyed the dagger. “Maybe I can get the story from you, then. What exactly is that dagger? Why is it so important?”

Elsa leaned over to him, “It’s known as Arendolk, literally ‘Aren’s Dagger,’ it’s the personal hunting knife of Aren the First of Arendelle. It went missing after his son killed him for the throne. According to folklore, Skyne, son of the moon god Máni and Lord of Shadows, was trapped in there by Aren and the trolls.”

Garret’s eyes went wide, “Really? How in the world did it end up with a cutthroat like the young man in your dungeons then?”   
  
She shrugged, turning her attention back to the castle’s front. “I’m unsure. But that is neither here nor there at the moment. Let’s just enjoy the show, shall we?” 

A wicked grin spread across her face, and as if perceiving her thoughts, he asked, “He’s never going to hear the end of this, is he?”

She shook her head. “Not a chance.”

Garret laughed and got back to watching Drake act like a fool in front of the entire kingdom.

So he was right, the man  _ was  _ talking to the dagger. Or, rather, the infernal spirit  _ inside  _ the dagger. A magical weapon that housed some kind of ancient power. Imagine that kind of power resting with the British Empire, they would be unstoppable!  _ All the more reason to make sure it's kept here,  _ Garret thought, watching the dragon knight flail around like a fish out of water.

Garret suddenly remembered the way the queen had frozen the glade around the three of them earlier. 

He opened his mouth to speak but his words died in his throat, as the awkwardness displayed in front of him was interrupted by the sound of a thundering explosion. The ground shook under them, a few pebbles falling off the walls around them.

“What was that?!” Elsa asked nobody in particular, taking a step back in shock and confusion. The crowd erupted in a few panicked shouts, but the people stayed calm overall. The fact that the queen kept her cool herself was surely helping.

Garret narrowed his eyes, his heart rate slowly picking up. “Cannon Fire.”

Drake had perked up too just as more explosions resounded from the ocean. He jumped down next to them both while sheathing the dagger, and, seeing him sort of jumpy into action, finished unsettling the crowd. “Elsa! That was cannon fire, two or three hundred yards away south from here,” he said, not paying attention to Garret in the slightest. 

“You can determine that just from the sound?” Garret asked in surprise.

“I got good ears,” Drake spat with some contempt, clearly not having gotten over their brawl earlier or the fact that he was in the British army. There was another blast that shook the courtyard, causing everyone to scurry in all different directions. “We have to get you to safety,” he then told Elsa.

She shook her head, her eyes focused. “No. We have to get  _ Arendelle _ to safety.”

Drake clicked his tongue. “Yes… that’s what I meant.” 

_ This isn’t the first time she’s pulling something like this _ , Garret thought. He nonetheless agreed with the Dragon Knight. She had to go somewhere safe.

“He’s right, Your Majesty,” he intervened. “We don’t know much but it’d be wise to take shelter.”

“Nobody asked you, frea-Wait what?” Drake grumbled before turning wide eyes toward Garret. “You agree with me?”

Garret shrugged. “Well, yeah. It’s the best thing to do.”

As soon as his words were spoken, the wall behind them blew up open, sending entire pieces of gray stone flying around with force. Garret was on the verge of summoning his armor - he preferred receiving weird looks to being dead - but soon realized it would have been for nothing since the heavy projectiles were embedded in seven feet-high pans of ice as transparent as water.

Elsa was panting at his right, her arms outstretched. 

_ She’s like me _ , his eyes widening by the second. He shook his head to bring himself back to the situation at hand.  _ More on that later. _

A horn blew from the other side of the destroyed wall. Garret and Drake dashed forward to quickly take a look at what had attacked the castle. 

On the water, quite a sizable distance from the shore, drifted twin boats of an impressive size. Garret quickly examined the mast, the disposition of the cannons, the sails. A black flag at the top, side blades, the sculpture of a well-endowed woman stuck under the ship’s bow...

“Pirates,” he and Drake sighed at the same time.

“P-Pirates?!” Elsa squeaked, her anxiousness slowly but surely starting to build up.

“Can’t we have a single party without weird things happening? Just the one?” Drake lamented, lifting his arms in exasperation.

“Well. The quiet just got a lot more interesting, didn’t it?” Garret deadpanned. “They’re not here to goof around. Look at those cannonballs. They mean business.” He stepped back, trying to form a plan. “Dragon Knight. Do… Whatever you do, and let me ride on your back. We can take them on, both of us.”

Drake turned to him with a “seriously?” expression. “First off: no one is riding me like some broken stallion. Secondly: I’d be a moving target out there, and I’m not that skilled in aerial combat.”

“Charming. And I don’t suppose Arendelle’s equipped with anti-naval war artillery?” Garret asked Elsa; though, from the little time he had spent in the village sized kingdom, he already had a pretty good idea of the answer. Elsa shook her head, and he heavily sighed. “Then, we can only wait for them to get bored or attack on foot.”

“Or we can go somewhere safe,” Drake insisted, throwing a glare to the Snow Queen behind him. “You know? What a normal person would do?”

Elsa’s - seemingly venomous - answer was interrupted by another cannon blast, and the loud sound of the powder-propelled chunk of metal shredding the column just above them. The three didn’t have time to process their surroundings as the massive granite pillar fell upon them. 

The weight of Garret's icy armor settled on him as fast as it always did, and immediately after the stifling pressure of a few hundred kilograms of stone knocked the wind out of him when he interposed his body on the pillar’s way.

The colonnade hung dangerously above the courtyard. The anchor point Garret had suddenly created at its base fractured the very top, sending blocks of stone barreling to the ground. Drake grabbed Elsa by her waist and jumped away from the boulders speeding toward them, but couldn’t dart far enough and was almost submerged by the rocaillous sea.

Garret suppressed a gasp, seeing them fall, but at least Drake was able to get back to his feet. Shakily, but still functional. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw him take a few steps and bolt in his direction shoulder-first. He smashed into the pillar with great force and shattered the granite, relieving Garret of the weight on his back.

“I underestimated the weight. Or overestimated my resistance. Same mistake,” he explained through his heavy panting. 

Drake more or less ignored him, moving quickly to check on Elsa. Examining her neck and head, he breathed an audible sigh of relief. “She’s out cold, but she’s alive.”

The two men threw glances toward the opening in the castle’s ramparts. The boats were approaching rapidly.

Garret strained to stand up, reconstructing the parts of his armor fractured by the pillar. “You ready to welcome them, Dragon Knight?” he asked, his voice magnified by his helmet.

Drake looked down at the unconscious Snow Queen. “You go without me. I’m sort of Arendelle’s protector, with her out I need to help her kingdom. Get her, her sister and the others to safety.” 

“Tss.  _ Arendelle’s protector.  _ I’m not sure that’s the best thing to do right now. Don’t take too long. I’m just a man here.”

Drake lifted the unconscious queen into his arms. “You’ll be fine. You got that weird canary looking armor.”

“It’s a hawk!” Garret shouted exasperatedly as Drake darted away. 

**_—:0:—_ **

Eryn stared up at the ceiling of his cell, laying back on the hard stone surface that passed for a bed. The cell was as he imagined it: dank, cold, and wet. The only light he had to work with was the sunlight streaming through the bars looking out on the fjord and a few torches lit just outside his door. Eryn idly bounced his leg, listening to the jingling of the chain around his ankle, as he contemplated his next move.

_ This would’ve been a smooth operation, if it weren’t for that mercenary fuck,  _ he thought.  _ What business does an Englishman have in Arendelle, anyway? What even is this celebration to begin with?  _ Eryn let a scowl rest on his face at the events leading up to this.  _ Alright, so the goals are get out of here, kill the Englishman and the dragon, and get the hell out of Arendelle. Ah, to hell with those two! Let them kill each other. _

Eryn sat up on the bed as he extended his hand out in front of him. His body went numb as shadowy tendrils emerged from his arm, converging on his open hand. He struggled to concentrate but the dagger finally appeared in his palm, still warm from whoever had it last.

_ Alright, before you say anything, I know I should’ve listened to y- _ Eryn expected to get an earful from Skyne, but the dagger was surprisingly silent. Flipping it on its side, Eryn could see the runes no longer glowed their normal crimson.

“ _ Son of a bitch! _ ” Eryn muttered as he placed the sharp edge on his palm. In one broad stroke, he dragged the blade across his palm, creating a long streak of blood. As soon as Eryn’s blood made contact with the runes, they began glowing bright red. Skyne groaned as if he just awoke.

**_Leaving that iceman alone probably wasn’t a good idea, Dragon Kni- ODRIKSON?!_ **

_ Good to see you too. Before you say anyth- _

**_I never thought I’d say this, but I am glad to see you. You don’t know how hard it was to stand hearing that buffoon choke on a stage like that!_ **

_ So, you’re not mad at me? _

**_I_ ** **was** **_furious with you, but now we have more pressing matters._ **

_ Right, now we just need to get out of here, leave this shitty kingdom behind, and we- _

**_We are_ ** **not** **_leaving, Odrikson._ **

_ Pardon?! _

**_You have brought me to the apex of magic users. We_ ** **must** **_seize the opportunity at hand._ **

_ The hell are you talking about? _

**_Wet my blade with the blood of the queen, the dragon knight, or the mercenary, and I will consider your end of the bargain fulfilled… and in return, I shall make sure the world remembers your name..._ **

Eryn contemplated this for a while. For the past three years he’d been working for Skyne. Well,  _ working  _ was a bit strong of a word, it was more like being enslaved by him. But Eryn felt that was worth it. It was his only option left, especially after the incident with Urlaf.

_ Fine, but first we need to get out of he- _

A loud explosion broke Eryn’s train of thought. Walking over to the barred window, Eryn let out a frustrated “God fucking dammit!” Two massive ships sat in the harbor, cannons aimed at the castle. Eryn could just make out the flag on top of one of them: a red Griffon holding a set of chains in one claw and a skull in the other, all against a midnight sky background.

“What the hell are the Griffons doing here?! I thought Barney sailed to Malaysia?”

**_Does Barnabus know we’re here?_ **

“Let’s hope not.”

**_Odrikson, duck!_ **

Eryn fell to the floor at Skyne’s command. Overhead, a cannonball sailed where he had been standing prior, sending a dusting of rock and sea water onto his head. Looking up, Eryn noticed that the cannonball smashed the door open, granting the assassin freedom.

“I love it when things work out like that,” he said as he dashed out of the cell.

  
  



End file.
